The Kerala Blasters’ assistant coach is confident of to have a successful campaign in the upcoming ISL season…
After a disappointing 2018-19 Indian Super League (ISL) season, Kerala Blasters have opted for a complete reboot. From hiring an experienced coach in Eelco Schattorie to roping in Ishfaq Ahmed as his assistant, the club management has chosen to hand over the responsibilities of ensuring the club reaches the playoffs atleast into tried and tested hands.
Ahmed, along with Schattorie, has been instrumental in revamping the squad. His experience as a player and subsequently as an assistant coach in ISL will come of help for the Blasters. During the season-break, Ahmed has been busy in spotting talent for the upcoming season and he believes that Blasters will be a force to reckon with the new additions.
“We have done our work to strengthen our roster. It is a new look team but we have got some foreign players who have already proven themselves in ISL. On the other hand, we have recruited some who have played in some of the top leagues across the world. So there is a good mix and balance in the team. Now, it is important that we work hard in the pre-season and go into the tournament in the best possible shape,” said Ahmed to Goal.
Blasters is one of the most followed teams in ISL and the fans are already excited about the signing of Raphael Messi Bouli. Ahmed reveals that Bouli was signed because of his exquisite left foot which impressed the entire coaching staff.
“We hope that he (Bouli) will seamlessly fit in Eelco’s plans as his style is similar to what the coach expects from his forwards. He is tall and has a powerful left-foot. He can be an asset to Kerala and somebody to watch out for in the upcoming ISL. Moreover, he will have the support of (Mario) Arques, (Sergio) Cidoncha and Bart (Bartholomew Ogbeche) who are already familiar to the conditions.
“Whereas, Jairo has played in Iranian and Japanese leagues. Even Moustafa has been playing in the Sudanese league and was the captain of his club as well. So, if these players gel well, then this season could be ours,” opines Ahmed.
Ogbeche was the star player for NorthEast United in the previous season and he has followed Schattorie to his new team. It was evident that the Dutchman was the go-to man for the Highlanders in the previous season when in need of goals and his absence was strongly felt against Bengaluru FC in the two legs of the semi-final playoffs. But Ishfaq assures that Blasters will not be dependent on a single player as they have enough quality replacements in the squad.
“We have signed multiple players for each position and each of them will be ready to take up the mantle if somebody is out. If Bart is out, Cido can take his place. Messi can also play as a striker if needed. We have good Indian players as well. Mohammed Rafi scored three goals in the AFC Cup. Sandesh Jhingan is there in defence. Gianni Zuiverloon is also there. We have quality and now we just have to work hard in pre-season so that we can show our quality on the pitch.”
Kerala will be travelling to UAE for their pre-season in the first week of September. The team will concentrate on physical conditioning before flying out of India.
In UAE they are scheduled to play a couple of friendlies against top-tier teams like Al-Shabab and Sharjah FC. Sharjah were the champions of the Arabian Gulf League in the 2018-19 season and it will help the Yellow Army prepare well when they will be locking horns against such quality opponents.
Young players like Jeakson Singh and Rahul KP will also be looking forward to the pre-season as they would try to impress the coaching staff for a place in the starting XI.
Ahmed is of the opinion that these youngsters have proved their talent and now they should be given the time to adjust to a new league.
“I think they should be given the time to settle down. It is not necessary that they will start firing from day one. They might take some. We will be patient with them. We don’t want to put any pressure on them. We know they are talented players and they will succeed. Look at Sahal. He graduated from our reserves and now he is an important part of the team. It takes time for a player to develop and we are ready to give them that time.”
After two disappointing campaigns, Kerala Blasters will be looking to turnaround their fortunes under the tutelage of Schattorie and Ishfaq. The team looks good on paper and now it remains to be seen whether they can produce the goods on the field.
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